WORTHINGTON — The Worthington City Council conducted a public hearing for a pavement improvement project on Shell Street during it's Monday evening meeting.
The street hasn’t seen updates since its construction in 1985, and after nearly four decades, has begun to show signs of distress, as reported in a feasibility study approved by the council during its May 8 meeting. Improvements consist of either bituminous or concrete street reconstruction, as well as necessary curb and gutter reconstruction, resurfacing, and sewer service and water main replacements.
The hearing provided an opportunity to receive public feedback, particularly in regard to the difference between bituminous and concrete. The city is expected to shoulder 78.4% of the project cost for pavement improvement, estimated at $377,645 for concrete and $321,126 for bituminous. The estimated assessment rate is $174.91 per foot for concrete and $148.73 per foot for bituminous
“You're looking at maybe a couple thousand (dollars) … or so difference between the bituminous and the concrete,” said City Engineer Stephen Schnieder, “So, it's not a real high cost difference from that perspective for the assessment of the properties.”
Since no public comment was offered on the matter, the council took Schnieder's recommendation to go with concrete, citing that the increased lifespan of concrete would likely be a better financial investment for the city. The council passed a resolution for the engineering department to begin moving forward with plans for concrete reconstuction.
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In other news, the council:
- Received an end-of-season recap from Tammy Makram, manager of the Memorial Auditorium.
- Approved the second reading of a proposed ordinance to rezone the property at 1477 Knollwood Dr. from institutional to R-1 single-family detached residential.
- Approved a second reading of an ordinance to rezone the Prairie Justice Center. The area is currently zoned transitional, and should the ordinance pass, it will be rezoned as a general business district.
- Approved an ordinance regarding Cecilee Street that was first passed at the May 8 City Council meeting . If finalized, the ordinance will rezone property along the north and south sides of Cecilee Street from ‘R-2’ single-family, low-density preservation residential to ‘R-4’ medium-density residential, allowing for two-family units on certain lots.
- Approved a change order from Tri-State General Contracting, the city’s contractor on the Aquatic Center Project. Instead of the originally proposed grass seeding, 4,000 square yards of grass sod will be laid at the cost of $20,242. This will bring the total contract price for the project up to $6,795,572.
- Approved an agreement for professional services for the reconstruction of Second Avenue. Worthington currently has a Master Agreement for Professional Services with Bolton & Menk, who will provide administrative services for the reconstruction and utility in the amount of $120,000.
- Accepted a Minnesota Department of Transportation grant to replace the roof on Worthington Municipal Airport's maintenance hangar. The state grant will pay for 70% of the total project cost, equaling $147,939. The city’s share is $63,402.
- Approved a grant agreement with the Minnesota DOT Aeronautics division for partial reimbursement of airport maintenance and operation costs. The grant will cover the state fiscal years of 2024 and 2025. Worthington will be paid for 75% of the eligible maintenance and operations cost, not to exceed $77,251 of state aid for each fiscal year.
- Learned that Worthington Water World opens Saturday, pending inspection. The Worthington Splash Pad is also open as of this week.
- Learned that Worthington’s puppy park, located southeast of Olson Park saw a recent expansion, and now has a closed-off area for smaller dogs.
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